


Blind date

by SolosOrca



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Fuji is trying to help- sort of, M/M, Tezuka is a useless drunk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-23 02:02:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13777350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolosOrca/pseuds/SolosOrca
Summary: “No,” Tezuka said before Fuji could even open his mouth.“I haven’t even said anything yet!” Fuji protested, but Tezuka had seen the glint in his eyes that meant he was planning something. “Why do you always think I’m up to no good?”“Past experience,” Tezuka replied coolly.Fuji gave a sort of one-shouldered shrug as if to say Tezuka had a point, but not one he should hold against Fuji. “I’m only trying to help, anyway, you’ll love him!”





	Blind date

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2018 Valentines Zine.

“No,” Tezuka said before Fuji could even open his mouth.

“I haven’t even said anything yet!” Fuji protested, but Tezuka had seen the glint in his eyes that meant he was planning something. “Why do you always think I’m up to no good?”

“Past experience,” Tezuka replied coolly.

Fuji gave a sort of one-shouldered shrug as if to say Tezuka had a point, but not one he should hold against Fuji. “I’m only trying to help, anyway, you’ll love him!”

“Who?”

Fuji gave him an exasperated look, clearly enjoying this. “Your blind date, of course.”

Tezuka pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting off the headache that had been threatening since Fuji had burst into his room. He didn’t mind sharing a flat with Fuji most of the time, he was tidy and they got along well, but he did meddle. A lot. Tezuka had other complaints -most of which involved Fuji’s boyfriend and the thin wall that separated Fuji’s bedroom from his- but he kept those to himself.

“I wasn’t aware I’d asked you to set me up on a date.”

“Tezuka,” Fuji said seriously, “Valentine’s Day is coming up and you’re going to be all alone. Again.”

“I’m fine being by myself,” Tezuka replied. “It’s just another night.”

“See! You’re hopeless and it’s my job as your flatmate and best friend to set you up with someone!”

At that moment, Tezuka wasn’t sure about the ‘best friend’ part. Fuji no doubt thought he had his best interests at heart, but his methods were dodgy at best.

“I don’t need a date,” Tezuka tried again, but it was pointless trying to escape the human hurricane that was Fuji with an idea.

“I’ve already arranged it,” Fuji replied, “you’ll be standing him up if you don’t go.”

He should stand him up, Tezuka thought. Who knew what kind of person Fuji had dragged up, this could be an elaborate joke to annoy Tezuka. But if it were legitimate then it would be rude not to turn up.

“Fine,” Tezuka said, “what’s he called?”

“That would ruin the surprise,” Fuji replied in his annoying sing-song voice. “He knows how to find you.”

* * *

 

Three days later, Tezuka was sat in a middle-of-the-road restaurant that Fuji had booked for himself and his blind date. Who was late.

Tezuka was nervous enough without his date turning up late. All around him, loved up couples were giving him sympathetic looks, no doubt thinking he’d been stood up.

Maybe he had.

He took a deep swig of his complimentary sparkling wine that was so acidic Tezuka was sure his teeth were being dissolved. It was free, that was all the positives that could be said for it.

Once he’d finished it, he ordered a whisky and sipped it more slowly as he waited, enjoying the warm burn in his throat and the buzz in his head. It didn’t matter if he was being started at like a particularly sad exhibit at the zoo. He even stopped looking at the door every time it opened, instead settling for enjoying his drink and the terrible twinkly piano music coming over the muffled speaker system.

“Are you Tezuka? He was poked in the shoulder. He spun his head, the world blurring around him, and saw a young man with jet black hair and startling green-brown eyes.

“Yes,” he replied and, because he wasn’t drunk enough to forget himself. “You’re late.”

The other man shrugged as though being almost an hour late was nothing. “Got caught up with practice,” he offered as an explanation and sat opposite Tezuka, slumping in his seat and fiddling with the fringe that was falling into his eyes. “I’m Echizen.”

Tezuka nodded -no matter how hard he’s pressed Fuji, he hadn’t given up the name of his mystery date.

“Tezuka Kunimitsu,” he introduced himself properly feeling it was only right. Echizen nodded and hid behind his menu.

What had Fuji set him up with?

Tezuka ordered without paying much attention to his menu -some kind of beef dish- and got another drink. He’d need to get through this date.

Echizen was not into small talk it turned out. Tezuka wasn’t either, but he was sure you were meant to talk about _something_ whilst you waited for your meal. Maybe it was the alcohol making him feel this way, or he’d been so annoyed by Echizen showing up late that he was going to _make him talk._ He managed to drag out of him that he studied physics- because the lack of coursework meant more time for his true passion -tennis. He lit up when Tezuka had asked him about that. Echizen, it turned out, was very good at tennis, better than everyone else at the university's tennis club. Tezuka revealed that he used to play in middle school but had to give up due to injury.

Echizen had looked disappointed at that, but Tezuka only barely registered it.

When he looked back at it, the date had seemed to be going well. The meal was passable and Echizen was good company once they’d passed the awkward first stage and now didn’t look as if he was seconds away from bolting.

Echizen ran out of whatever sugar filled drink and Tezuka ordered them both refills, vaguely aware of how the world was starting to get a bit wobbly, like he was on a ship. Echizen started talking about tennis again and Tezuka was fixated with him, like he was the only person in the room. Looking at him again, he was really cute. His eyes lit up happily as he told Tezuka all about his latest match. He kept having to brush his fringe out of his eyes, which was also very cute. He looked very cute with his hair pushed back but also with it falling into his eyes.

“Can we go somewhere else?” Tezuka asked, the words not forming properly on his tongue. There had to be somewhere better than this stupid restaurant, Echizen deserved to be taken somewhere better!

“Yeah, sure,” Echizen said, a cute smirk on his cute lips. “Let’s go.”

* * *

His head hurt and he felt sick. These were the two overwhelming feelings when he awoke from what he assumed must be sleep- when had he fallen asleep? His mouth felt like he’s licked a million stamps and he had to shut his eyes immediately after opening them.

Where was he? In a bed by the feel of the mattress under him and the warm blanket over him.

Cold sobriety washed over him as he realised he had no memories of getting home and he forced his eyes open.

It wasn’t his room. Panic boiled in his stomach and he scrambled up, his head swimming making him nauseous.

Could Echizen have taken him home?

He’d have no idea where Tezuka lived and if Tezuka had been too drunk to get home….

Slowly, he got into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes. After some searching he found his glasses on the bedside table. Everything seemed a little better now the world was in focus, it didn’t stop his pounding headache however.

He supposed he should get up but moving seemed beyond his body’s ability at the moment -along with clear thinking.

A knocking at the door broke Tezuka out of his panicking.

“It’s me,” Echizen called through the door. “I’ve got pills.”

He came in without Tezuka replying -which was probably a good thing as Tezuka was wondering why Echizen wanted him to take drugs until they were revealed to be aspirin.

“It’ll help,” Echizen assured him, “at least that’s what Momo says.”

Tezuka just nodded and took the aspirin, not sure who Momo was or why he should take his advice.

“It didn’t work,” he said when his head continued to pound.

“Well duh, it needs time. It’s not magic,” Echizen snorted. “Come on, I made breakfast.”

* * *

 

“What happened last night?” Tezuka asked as he was presented with a bowl of rice and a fried egg.

“You drank too much and Fuji wouldn’t tell me where you lived so I brought you home with me.”

Tezuka buried his head in a hand. Of course Fuji would let him be carried off by some random guy! He was no doubt at home laughing at all this!

“I’ll have words with him,” he promised and Echizen laughed -much more comfortable out of a suit and in sweatpants and a t-shirt.

“You’d better. I want him to suffer for making me give up my bed!”

“I’m sorry.”

Echizen shrugged, “not really your fault, you looked like you needed it more and there’s not room for two of us unless we cuddled.”

Tezuka’s face heated you and Echizen smirked.

“You kept calling me ‘cute’ all night” -Tezuka choked on his rice- “so I know you’d have liked it, but I don’t sleep with people on the first date.”

Tezuka’s head was hurting far too much to venture into this minefield of a conversation.

“Just don’t get drunk next time!

“Next time?” Tezuka wasn’t sure he deserved one.

“Yeah, you’re cute too.”

 


End file.
